1
as in heavyweights
one of high position or importance within a group
a police sting that nabbed several kingpins of the city's drug trade
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2
as in leaders
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
finally nailed the mob kingpin who had been controlling all the gambling rackets in the city
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Recent Examples of kingpins
Prior to Gutierrez-Ochoa there has been a long history of Mexican kingpins faking death to avoid capture, with El Mencho himself rumored killed on several occasions.
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Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
But, the movie suggests, he was perceived nonetheless—while sitting alone after a disastrous date—by one of the club’s most prominent members, Roy Cohn, who invites the clumsy young striver to his festive table and introduces him to two Mafia kingpins who are also seated there.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
And that’s great news not only for Wall Street kingpins like Josh Harris but for investment-minded sports fans everywhere.
—Hank Tucker, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
But, the movie suggests, he was perceived nonetheless—while sitting alone after a disastrous date—by one of the club’s most prominent members, Roy Cohn, who invites the clumsy young striver to his festive table and introduces him to two Mafia kingpins who are also seated there.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
And that’s great news not only for Wall Street kingpins like Josh Harris but for investment-minded sports fans everywhere.
—Hank Tucker, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpins
Noun
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As he’s mobbed by fans and cajoled by industry heavyweights, the sunglasses go on, and a new, slicker, tougher, more icy persona is constructed, a form of armor that seems essential to his survival.Radhika Seth, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024
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In fact, consistently beating the S&P 500 — in good times and bad — has been difficult over recent years for individual stocks; for heavyweights in the Information Technology sector including, CSCO and META, and even for the megacap stars GOOG, TSLA, and MSFT.Trefis Team, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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For your short film, Navid’s story as a famous wrestler standing up for change was globally famous, with calls from world leaders asking for his release from prison.Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
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These organizations can offer athletes valuable benefits, including representation in group licensing deals, and provide them a collective voice in promoting their views with lawmakers, business leaders and other key constituencies.Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In reference to that metaphor, Stewart has developed a reputation for shutting down the league’s best bigs.Mat Issa, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
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Dieng has the height at 6-foot-11 but lacks the strength and physicality to compete with more traditional bigs.Nick Crain, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near kingpins
Cite this Entry
“Kingpins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpins. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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